Living with Black Bears

Seeing black bears in their natural surroundings is exciting. But when bears venture into human territory, problems can occur and bears often pay the price.

Nuisance Bears - A Fed Bear Is A Dead Bear

People often encourage bears to come out of the forest by providing food without realizing it. When bears become used to these food sources and have frequent contact with humans they are often considered "nuisance bears." This is bad news for the bears. Relocating a nuisance bear is nearly impossible and frequently they must be destroyed.

The most common sources of food that attract bears are: pet food, bird feeders, barbecue grills, garbage, household trash containers, open dumpsters, and campsites with accessible food and food wastes.

Purposely feeding a bear is not just bad for the bear, it’s also illegal.

If you see a bear in a residential area or you encounter an aggressive bear, please contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

Protecting Your Home and Property

Vermonters must take reasonable measures to protect their property from bears before lethal force can be taken. Some of these measures include:

Keep chickens and honeybees secure within an electric fence or other bear-proof enclosure.

Never feed bears, deliberately or accidentally.

Feed your pets indoors.

Feed birds from December to March only.

Store trash in a secure place. Trash cans alone are not enough!

The Fish & Wildlife Department will not reimburse claimants for bear damage to livestock, fruit, or bees. Farmers will be reimbursed as long as their land is not posted against hunting.

Persons suffering bear damage should contact the nearest Vermont Fish & Wildlife office or local state game warden prior to taking any control action on their own. Fish & Wildlife personnel will recommend appropriate measures or control strategies that can lessen the problem.

It is your responsibility to avoid attracting bears. Bears are wild animals that belong in their natural habitat-- the forest.